Exclusive chat with Pavan Rajgopal, Vice Consul at US Embassy
By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 2 Sep: A team of Consular officers, education counsellors and others from the US Embassy in New Delhi are currently in Dehradun and Mussoorie holding fairs and sessions for the Indian students keen on higher education in the US and to counsel them about the higher education opportunities, and the Visa process. The team is led by Pavan Rajgopal, Vice Consul (US State Department) at the US Embassy in New Delhi and Visa Officer for student visas there. Other team members include Education Outreach Coordinator at US Embassy, Sonal Kapoor Abbey, and senior advisor at Education USA (it is US Government’s official source of information on higher education in US) Aastha Singh, besides others.
While in Dehradun, they hosted events at Tula’s Institute and Welham Girls, UPES and, St George’s College, Oasis and Unison. Tomorrow, Team America will hold a fair at The Doon School and host events also at Woodstock in Mussoorie and Mussoorie International School.
In the midst of hosting these sessions, which included fairs and interactive sessions, Pavan Rajgopal found time to speak exclusively to Garhwal Post about the higher education scenario in the US for foreign students, and related issues.
Pavan Rajgopal joined the Foreign Service as a political officer in 2023 after serving in various roles across the National Security Council, the Departments of Defence and State, and the Intelligence Community. He has been posted in New Delhi as consular officer for the past 8 months and says that he is thoroughly enjoying his term here, since it also provides him an opportunity to explore his roots in India, as he was born in the US. He also shared that, between 16 and 25 August, EducationUSA and the US Consulate hosted eight major events in Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Kolkata and New Delhi.
In response to a question, Rajgopal emphasised that there are some major differences in Higher Education systems in European and American Universities. These differences are a major point of attraction for Indian students to explore higher education opportunities in the US. He said that it is a combination of several factors which make US Higher Education more attractive for Indian students as compared to foreign universities elsewhere. Whereas, in other foreign universities, the students have to apply for specific courses, there is a very flexible course curriculum in the US. In most US universities, the students don’t have to declare which major subject they wish to pursue till the second year and, hence, they can explore which subject to pick depending on their interest. Rajgopal reminds that people to people contacts between US and India are great and there is a very large and vibrant Indian diaspora in US, which makes them feel more comfortable. This helps them integrate faster in the US and it is easy for them to comprehend the instructions because of their good grasp over English. As far as the US is concerned, it is a pleasure to have Indian students because they come with strong academic credentials, have the ability to contribute, and it becomes mutually valuable for both to learn from each other’s experiences. There are over 4000 universities and colleges that are accredited and can have foreign students.
In response to a question regarding the number of students from Uttarakhand in the US, Rajgopal said that it is not easy to give an accurate break up but he will like to share that, last year, student visas were granted to 1,40,000 students from India and this was probably the highest number from any country. In Uttarakhand, there are many residential schools and, therefore, the students may also apply from their native places as well. In all, there are currently over 2,50,000 Indian students pursuing various courses. In future, there will be even a higher number of students from India in the US.
In response to a question regarding scholarships on offer by US universities for Indian and other foreign students, Rajgopal said that the cost of higher education plays a crucial factor for consideration by the students since finances matter. In US, there are generally two kinds of scholarships and financial assistance that are provided. First is obviously merit based scholarships for students with strong academic or leadership credentials. They may be provided with assistance to partially fund their studies. Rajgopal said that, in addition, the second kind is the need based financial assistance depending on their families’ financial status if they are not able to fully fund their education in the US. Education USA keeps close contact with the universities and the students to provide them useful information and help them figure out which universities are more affordable.
In response to another question regarding the student visa, Rajpgopal shared that getting student visas is a five-step process. There are three types of student visas with F1 visa category being the most common. This category is for studying at an accredited US college or university or to study English at an English language institute. At first, the students typically apply to each individual accredited university and every university will have a slightly different process and requirement, but typically doesn’t involve the submission of one’s test scores, marks in school. The universities also explore one’s extracurricular activities and require writing of essays which are really the way through which the universities get to learn more about the student personally and their academic interests and how they can contribute to the classroom. And once they have that offer of admission from an accredited varsity, they can apply for the student visa with the US Embassy.
In response to another question, Rajgopal shared, “On our end, we’re very focused on making sure that every student who wants to study in the US for higher education is able to take at least one visa interview and demonstrate their credentials to the consular officer. And we’re very happy to say that this year we were able to meet all demands. So, every student that applied to study in the US and wanted that first time appointment got at least one opportunity to interview for the visa. And the majority of them, you know, got the visa and will be headed to the US in the fall.”
In response to another question regarding changing trends regarding student visas among Indian students, Rajgopal shared, “I think in the past we saw most Indians going to study at the Masters level. They would complete their bachelor’s degree in India and decide to go for a masters in the US, get professional experience. But what we’re increasingly seeing now and we’re very excited about more students applying at the undergraduate level. Again, in that flexible environment where you get the chance to explore many different subjects, where you really get to figure out for yourself, where your academic interests lie and ultimately your career interests. We’re very excited that we’re seeing students coming straight from high school and taking advantage of the opportunity afforded by an undergraduate education in the US.”
Regarding a question about post education work visa opportunities for Indians in the US once they complete their education there, Rajgopal stated that the purpose of student visas is to encourage the students to get the best of education. He adds, “One of the benefits of the student visa is what’s called optional practical training, and that provides students with the opportunity to work for up to one year in all fields and up to three years in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields in the US. This is to get them to experience what they’ve learned in the classroom in a professional environment and get good professional experience. Students do come out from that and do apply for work visas. Once they apply, they do have the opportunity to be sponsored by employers or apply in other ways. But at the end of the day, the F1 visa is a study visa and it is not meant to be an immigrant visa. It’s a way to encourage students to study in the US, get that practical experience, get the knowledge that would then allow them to be competitive in the job market, whether here in India or in the United States or elsewhere globally.”
